Rancher Fights Federal Government Land Grab; Family Has Owned The Land For 70 Years

The federal government recently re-defined the traditional definition of marriage and since the shooting in Oregon is working tirelessly to redefine the nature of the 2nd amendment. That is not the extent of the federal government’s reach. In Texas, it seems that the federal government is attempting to redefine property rights.

According the Blaze, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) re-drew the boundary line of Ken Aderholt’s property in Texas. His family has owned 1,250 acres in Harrold, near the border of Oklahoma, for the past 70 years. The Aderholt family has been running a cattle ranch on the land since 1941.

That all changed in 2014 when the BLM redefined his boundary line that would effectively take away half of his acreage. An official from the BLM called Aderholt and told him that the property in question now belonged to the federal government. The redefined property lines included the land where Aderholt’s house sits. When he told them of this, the BLM official told Aderholt that “you have reason to be concerned.”

Aderholt’s family has held the deed to the land since the 40’s and have been paying property taxes on the land ever since. Not only is the BLM trying to take Aderholt’s land, it appears they are also trampling on states rights by telling Aderholt that, “Texas should never have produced that deed.”

The BLM is currently figuring out what to do with the land. According to the BLM, a final plan for the land won’t be ready until 2018. Until then, Aderholt plans to keep fighting for his property. He and other affected property owners have sought legal counsel to fend off the encroaching government.

Where is Texas in all of this? Shouldn’t the state and their elected officials be standing up for the rights and property of one of their statesman?